Door



Mardi 2, 1937. G. MALAND vDOOR Filed March 19, 1955 @/NV/vToefv, @A52/EL MADLAA/D TTX March 2, 1937. G. MADLAND DOOR Filed Maron 19, 1955 5 sheets-sheet 2v TTX ca. MADLAND March 2, 19.37.

DOOR

Filed March 19,'1955 :s sheets-Sheet s lll - TTY Patented Mar. 2, 1937 PATENT OFFICE noon Gabriel Madlancl, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Youngstown Steel Door Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March 19, 1935, Serial No. 11,835

11 Claims.

This invention relates to swinging doors such as may be employed in freight containers, refrigerator cars and, in general, wherever such doors may desirably be utilized. Where the doors are employed upon containers the invention also relates to the corner and door post construction thereof.

Swinging doors heretofore employed upon freight shipping structures and more particularly those employed upon L. C. L. freight containers have been rather complex in construction. Such construction has resulted in large measure from the nature of the fastening means for the doors. 'I'his fastening means embodies vertical oppositely moving bolts lockingly engaged in recesses provided in the containers above and below the doors. The employment of these bolts necessitates modification of the customary wooden lining of the door by the replacement of a portion of the lining by a metallic plate in order to provide sufficient space to accommodate the bolts and a portion of their operating means. In addition to this fact, additional locking means is cornmonly utilized at the meeting edges of the doors since the aforementioned locln'ng bolts are utilized with respect to one door only. There is, thus, at present employed, three distinct locking mechanisms involving great expense and a large number of parts.

Weather stripping is used to render the edges of the doors Weather tight in their closed position. Heretofore such weather stripping has been so disposed as to insure compression thereof, either by being fiXedly secured in properly extended relationship beyond the edges of the doors or by the use of coiled springs which yieldingly maintain the desired extension of the weather strips. A certain nicety of dirnensioning must, therefore, be had to insure proper closing of the door.

The instant invention has for an object the simplification of the fastening means and a consequent reduction of the number of parts and expense entailed in the described fastening means. It has for objects, moreover, a simplification of the hinged door construction to embody a weather stripping structure readily applicable as a unit or in Sections in recesses provided by the door construction; the provision of hinged door construction, the hinge mounting of which combines door opening, closing and fastening means; the provision of a hinged door so mounted as to have a component of movement across the door opening whereby to insure a positive compressive force upon the weather stripping cooperating with the vertical edges of the door and engagement with the meeting edge of an associated door where double doors are employed in the door opening; and the provision of novel corner and door post constructions for containers.

With these objects in view, and others which will become clear as the description of the invention proceeds, the invention comprises the novel structure and combination of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification Figure l is an elevation of doors embodying the invention shown for purposes of illustration incorporated in a freight container.

Figure 2 is a partial elevation showing a modified form of the elevation.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3 3 of Figure 1, the doors being shown in closed position.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section similar to Figure 3 but showing the position of the doors before they reach fully closed position.

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5 5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a vertical section taken on line 6 6 of Figure 1.

Figure '7 is a horizontal section similar to Figure 3 showing a further modified form of the invention.

Figure 8 is a horizontal section similar to Figure 7 showing the left-hand door before reaching its fully closed position.

Figure 9 is a horizontal section taken on line 9 9 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1 to 6 inclusive, and Figure 9, the numeral I designates in its entirety a railway i freight container utilized as a background for the illustration of the features of the instant invention. Such containers are customarily provided with a plurality of door openings, one of such openings being illustrated in the figures of the drawings above-referred to. The door opening is defined by means of a lintel I I shown in the form of a channel member, the flanges I2 and I3 of which are of unequal length and the web i4 being disposed in downwardly and inwardly inclined position. Identical members Il utilized as door posts define the front and rear margins of the door opening. The bottom of the opening is defined by means of an angle member I receiving a wooden filler block IB. A threshold plate I'I is disposed upon the filler member I6 and is secured in outwardly overlapping relationship to the angle member I5 by means of bolts I8 passing through the filler member and through supporting angles I9, upon which the forward margin of the floor 2D rests. It will be apparent from gure 6 of the drawings that the threshold plate I1 has a downwardly and outwardly inclined portion 2 I, from which the plate extends rearwardly in overlapping relationship with the forward margin of the floor.

The sides of the container I0 are preferably formed of sheet metal, as indicated at 22, one margin of which is secured as by means of rivets to front corner posts 23. Each of these corner posts comprises a formed metallic bent member indicated at 24 to provide angularly related flanges 25 and 26, the former of which is secured to a sheet metal side 22. The flange 26 is disposed in the outer plane of the wall of the container in which the door opening is provided. A metallic bracing member 2l is utilized in conjunction with the member 24 to provide a sturdy tubular post construction and to this end is formed with attaching flanges 28 and 29 connected by the angularly related web portion 35. The attaching flange 2S is fastened to the sheet metal side 22 and to the flange 25 of the member 24, while the attaching flange 29 is fastened to the flange 25 of the member 24 by means of rivets which are utilized to secure the flange I3 of the door post II between the flanges 2G and 25. There is thus provided a sturdy door post construction reinforced by means of the tubular corner post which, in turn, is strengthened by the door` post. In the foregoing description of a corner post and the relationship therewith of a door post, one only of each of such posts has been re ferred to. It will be understood, however, that the corner post construction of the character described is preferred at all of the vertical corners of the container and that where door posts are associated with such corner posts, the relationship will be that hereinabove described.

The door opening defined above is adapted to be closed, preferably by means of a plurality of doors 3| and 32, which are hingedly mounted upon the container I0. The door 3| comprises a sturdy metallic frame formed of a plurality of structural Z-shaped members. The vertical Z- shaped members are designated by the numerals 33 and 34, while the upper and lower horizontal Z-shaped members are designated by the numerals 35 and 36. The Z-shaped members are thus associated to provide a rectangular frame and in their association are so disposed that the flanges 31, 38, 39 and 4I) are directed inwardly toward each other while the remaining flanges 4I, 42, 43 and 44 are directed outwardly. To the inwardly directed flanges there is secured a sheet metal panel 45. This panel extends outwardly beyond the flanges of the Z-shaped members to which it is secured and by virtue of the foregoing construction is established in spaced overlapping relationship with the outwardly directed anges of the frame members. The construction thus provides a continuous recess in the edges of the door.

The recess provided in the edges of the door is utilized to receive and retain sealing strips adapted to provide a weather tight construction for the door. The sealing strips employed may embody strips of sponge rubber 46 which are covered by strips of canvas 41. The canvas strips preferably embrace wooden filler members seated in the recess above referred to. These filler members are secured in the door recesses by means of bolts 49 which conveniently pass through the canvas strips thus securely maintaining the felt weatherproong strips in position.

A wooden lining 5U, such as is commonly utilized in doors of this character, is fastened to the door 3| in any desired manner.

The door 32 may be of the same construction as set forth above in the description of the door 3l. It is preferred, however, to modify this construction in connection with the door 32 so as to present a metallic member 5E at the vertical edge of the door Sii which contacts with the door 3l in the closed position of the doors. The metallic member 5I is substantially channelshaped in section providing a flange 52, by means of which the member is secured to the metallic panel The web 53 of the metallic member 5I is inclined outwardly and toward the hinged edge of the door and corresponds to the inclination of the "W free edge of the door 3i.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 inclusive, and in Figure 9, the door 32 is hinged to the container by means of a single hinge, as is well known. The door 3|, however, is hingedly mounted upon the container and by means of a plurality of spaced multiple pintle hinges. Each of the hinges thus utilized embodies a strap member 54 secured to the door and a strap member 55 secured to the necting the intermediate and container straps of the spaced hinges. As clearly indicated in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings, limited space is provided between the hinge straps 54 and the hinge pins 5? for a purpose hereinafter set forth.

To the rod 58 there is secured an actuating member 59. The member 59 is preferably operatively engaged with the rod 55 by means of a collar 55 Xedly secured to the rod and to which the member 59 is pivotally fastened so that said member upon its release will assume a vertical position and hang from the collar 65. The actuating member 59 serves additionally to fasten the door Si, which is the overlapping door of the construction shown, in the door opening when said member is extended across the joint between the door 3l and the door post I I. To this end the actuating member 59 is adapted to cooperate in a well-known manner with a fastening device indicated in its entirety by the numeral El' which embodies a pin 62 adapted to retain the actuating member in fastening position and to receive the customary seal.

As noted above, the door 3l overlaps the door 32 in the closed position of the doors. The door 3| is, therefore, provided with an abutment meinber 53 secured upon the outer face of the door at the upper-left-hand corner thereof, as viewed in Figure l of the drawings. This abutment member, which is preferably in the form of a casting, carries an upstanding arcuate lug G4 adapted to cooperate with a dependingl convex flange 65 formed on a keeper 65 secured to the freight container above the door 3 I. The abutment member E3 carries additionally a lobe 5l, the inner surface of which is convexly arcuate, as indicated at 6B.

To the lower left-hand corner of the door and upon the outer face thereof, as viewed in Figure `1 of the drawings, there is secured a corresponding abutment member '69. This member is preferably form-ed as a casting and is provided with a convex portion 'ill adapted to cooperate with a convex flange 'il formed on a keeper member 'i2 secured to the container below the lower edge of the door. The abutment member 69 is also provided with a lobe T3, the inner surface of which is convex.

The doors 3| and 32 are shown in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings in their closed position. In this position oi the doors the actuating member 59 is fastened to the door 3| as hereinabove described. The adjacent edges of the doors 3l and 32 are related in such manner that the door 3i overlaps the door 32. The lug St of the abutment member t3 is disposed behind the depending flange of the keeper member G5, thus maintaining the doors 3| and 32 against outward movement as a result of the pressure of lading within the container. A similar result flows :from the overlapping relationship between the portions lll and 'H of the abutment member t9 and keeper l2, disposed at the lower left-hand corner of the door 3l. The restraining inuence of the door '3l upon the door 32 is aided by the overlapping engagement of the lobes 61 and 13 of the abutment members with wear castings 'M and 'I5 secured to the upper and lower corners of the door 32 adjacent the free edge thereof, The doors 3l and 32 are thus secur-ely fastened within the door opening and are rendered weather tight by virtue of the engagement of the weather stripping iii between the edges of the door with the members denning the door opening and the engagement of the weather strip with the free edge ofthe door 32.

When it is desired to open the doors 3l and 32 the seal, not shown, may be removed and the actuating member 59 released from the fastening device 6l. The actuating member is then utilized to impart rotation to the rod 5t and inasmuch as the intermediate hinged strips 56 are rigidly secured to said rod as by means of rivets i6, the opposite end of each of the intermediate strips will swing outwardly about the rod 53 as a center. The hinged edge of the door 3| will thereby be drawn outwardly from the door opening and will have imparted thereto a movement of translation toward the right, as will be readily apparent from Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings. During this movement of the door the abutment members G3 and 69 will b-e disengaged from their corresponding keepers so that the door may then be fully opened and if desired may be swung varound the adjacent corner of the container and 'disposed in abutting relationship with a side wall thereof. The actuating member 59 which is pivoted to the collar Gil will have assumed a vertical depending position and will lie adjacent the rod 58 so as not to interi-ere with the swinging movement of the door. This movement of the door 3l will additionally eifect release of the lobes 61 and i3 from the free margin of the door 32 whereby this door may readily be swung to open position.

When it is desired to return the doors 3l and 32 to their closed position the following steps may be taken:

The door 32 may rst be disposed relative to the door opening, as illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings. The door 3| may then be swung about its hinges and the free edge thereof guided so that engagement is obtained between the convex portions 64 and 'I0 of the abutment members and the convex iianges 65 and Il of the cooperat ing keepers. During this positioning of the free edge of the door 3l the lobes El and 'i3 of the abutment members are disposed in overlapping engagement with the wear plates ifi and l5 on the door 32. Thereupon the actuating member 59 may be swung to a horizont-al position and operated in order to impart rotation in the opposite direction to the rod 58. A force is thus exerted through the hinges upon the door 3l serving to urge the door Si into the door opening. At the same time, and by reason of the hinge mounting of the door 3i, there is presented a component of this force which imparts movement to the door 3l across the door opening. is this movement of the door 3i progresses, the engagement between the convex lug Ell and the convex flange Si, and between the convex portions 'Eil and 7l, will force the free edge of the door into the door opening. Moreover, this component of movement of the door 3l will, by reason of the engagement between the lobes iii and 13 of the door abutment members with the wear members 'M and '15, exert forces upon the door 32, whereby said door will be urged into the door opening and will, at the same time, have a limited movement in the direction of its length, permitted by the play allowed in the hinges connecting the door 32 to the container, as hereinabove explained. Similarly, by reason of the tolerance allowed between the door straps 5d and the intermediate straps t,

a like movement will be had by the door 3 i. The doors 3| and 32 will, thus, be forced into proper position within the door opening and will, moreover, have such movement in the direction of their length as to insure rm engagement between the weather stripping and the parts with which they cooper-ate, in order to insure a weather tight condition around the edges of the doors.

In Figure 2 of the drawings there is illustrated a modification in which the actuating member i6 is fastened to one of the door hinge straps lll. To this end the hinge strap 'il is provided with spaced housing members 'Z8-i8, within which is received a locking pin i9 cooperating with the actuating member 16, to fasten it in locking position. The actuating member 'i6 is pivotaily secured, as indicated at Sil, toa depending portion of the intermediate hinge strap 8l which, in turn, is rigidly secured to a hinge rod 82 as by means of rivets 83. By this construction the separate fastening means Gl is avoided and the housing member 'lEi-l' may readily be formed on the door hinge strap. y

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate a further embodiment of the invention, which indicates that the type of hinge utilized with the door 3l in the irst described embodiment of the invention may be employed as well in connection with the door 32. Where this type of hinge is used to mount the door 32 upon the container it is preferred to employ the hinge rod 58, the actuating member 59 associated therewith and the fastening means El, for the actuating member. and keeper members of the rst described embodiment may also be modified so as to eliminate the lobes 51 and i3. Keeper members, such as 811, are employed and are provided with a convexly curved depending flange 85 adapted to cooperate with abutments 85 and 81 secured, as hereinbefore described, to the free margins of the The abutment members doors. Therefore, as the doors are brought to their closed position the engagement between the members 86 and 81 and the anges 85 of the keeper members 84 will force the free edges of the door inwardly into the door opening. The hinges by which the doors are mounted upon the container will serve a similar purpose with regard to the hinged margins of the door. This movement of the door will be more fully apparent from a consideration of Figure 8 of the drawings.

It will be apparent that the instant invention may be utilized in connection with a single door as well as a pair of doors. It may also be embodied in doors which are formed of hinged leaves and doors embodying the instant invention may be utilized in structures other than freight containers. Many other modifications and changes of the disclosed embodiments of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. All such modifications and changes, therefore, are deemed to be comprehended within the invention, which is to be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In combination, a door, a frame member associated therewith, a plurality of spaced hinges pivotally securing said door to said frame member, each of said hinges comprising a hinge strap secured to said door, a hinge strap secured to said frame member, an intermediate hinge strap, a hinge pin securing said intermediate strap to said door strap and a hinge pin securing said intermediate strap to said frame member strap, said intermediate strap being rigidly secured to said latter pin and means operatively fastened to said latter hinge pin for imparting movement of rotation thereto.

2. In combination, a door, a frame member associated therewith, a plurality of spaced hinges pivotally securing said door to said frame member, each of said hinges comprising a hinge strap secured to said door, a hinge strap secured to said frame member, an intermediate hinge strap and hinge pins securing said intermediate strapA to said door and frame member straps, means operatively fastened to a hinge pin of each hinge for imparting movement of rotation thereto, said means extending across the joint between said door and frame member in the closed position of said door and a fastening device provi-ded on said door hinge strap for releasably securing said means. l

3. In combination, a door, a frame member associated therewith, a plurality of spaced hinges pivotally securing said door to said frame member, each of said hinges comprising a hinge strap secured to said door, a hinge strap secured to sai-d frame member, an intermediate hinge strap, a hinge pin securing said intermediate strap to said door strap and a hinge pin securing said intermediate strap to said frame member strap, said latter pin being rigidly secured to said intermediate strap, said pins being disposed opposite said frame member and upon the same side of the joint between said door and frame member and means secured to said latter pin for imparting movement of rotation thereto for the purpose set forth.

4. In combination, a door, a frame member associated therewith, a plurality of spaced hinges pivotally securing said door to said frame member, each of said hinges comprising a hinge strap secured to said door, a hinge strap secured to said frame member, an intermediate hinge strap, a hinge pin securing said intermediate strap to said door strap and a hinge pin securing said intermediate strap to said frame member strap, said latter pin extending continuously between sai-d hinges and being rigidly secured to said intermediate straps, and means secured to said latter pin for imparting movement of rotation thereto.

5. In combination, a door, a frame member associated therewith, a plurality of spaced hinges pivotally securing said door to said frame member, each of sai-d hinges comprising a hinge strap secured to said door, a hinge strap secured to said frame member, an intermediate hinge strap, a hinge pin securing said intermediate strap to said door strap and a hinge pin securing said intermediate strap to said fra-me member strap, said intermediate strap being associated with said latter hinge pin for rotating movement therewith and means operatively fastened to said latter pin for imparting movement of rotation thereto.

6. In combination, a door, a door frame associated therewith, hinge means securing one margin of said door to said frame for mounting said door for combined swinging movement and movement of translation, said door in open position having its inner face exposed, said door having a movement of translation as said door moves to closed position and means secure-d to said frame cooperating with means on said door in the inal closing movement of said door for utilizing said movement of translation to force the opposite margin of said door into said frame.

7. In combination, a door, a door frame associated therewith, hinge means securing one Inargin of said door to said frame for mounting said door for combined swinging movement and movement of translation, said door in open position having its inner face exposed, said door having a movement of translation as said door moves to closed position, keeper members secured to said frame above and below said door, abutment members secured to the upper and lower margins of said door, said keeper members being engageable with said abutment members in the nal closing movement of said door for utilizing said movement of translation to force said door into said frame.

8. 'Ihe combination with a door frame of a plurality of doors adapted to be received in said frame, hinge means securing one of said doors to sai-d frame, hinge means securing the other of said doors to said frame for combined swinging movement and movement of translation, said latter door having a movement of translation as it moves to-closed position and means provided on the free margin of said latter door engageable during the iinal closing movement thereof with the adjacent margin of said one door for utilizing said movement of translation to force said one door into said door frame.

9. The combination with a door frame of a plurality of doors adapted to be received in said frame, hinge means securing one of said doors to said frame, hinge means securing the other of said doors to said frame for combined swinging movement and movement of translation, said other door having a movement of translation as it moves to closed position, keeper members secured to said frame above and below said other door, abutment members secured to the free margin of said other door, means provided on said abutment members adapted to engage and overlap the free margin of said one door, said abutment and keeper members cooperating in the nal closing movement of said other door for utilizing said movement of translation to force it into said frame, said means utilizing said movement of translation to force said one door into said frame.

10. In a freight container, a tubular corner post comprising a plurality of members having their vertical margins secured together and their intermediate portions spaced apart and a door post having a ange disposed between the adjacent margins of said members and secured to said margins by the fastening means which secure said margins together.

11. A door comprising a frame formed of anguiar members and a sheet metal panel secured to said frame, said members having anges disposed in spaced relationship to said panel and cooperating therewith to provide a recess adapted to receive Weather stripping for said door.

GABRIEL MADLAND. 

